You Give Me Meaning
by MadamP
Summary: Why are Cato and Clove so close? What happened to the two of them behind closed doors? Is there something more than we aren't seeing-of course there is.
1. Chapter 1

How did I get stuck in this predicament? Simple, I fell in love with my male tribute from my district. Cato. He is tall, muscular, and hot as hell and every girl's dream. Being put in the Hunger Games didn't cause some sudden reaction for me to notice him, like the ones from twelve, but I've always loved him. The first time I saw Cato, I was nearly five and Cato seven. Two older boys, they had to be about ten or eleven, decided it would be funny to steal the doll I was playing with. They held it above my head and no matter how hard I tried to reach it; they would always pull it higher.

"Hey Short-stack, you want your doll? Jump for it." The next moment all I saw was blonde hair, and even for a kid Cato was muscular. He was far taller than the boys and plucks the toy away from them with grace. "Leave her alone," He said puffing his chest to convince them. Cato always had a reputation as being a bad boy, but seeing him this way…all heroic, it did something to me. My heart began to pound for the older brutal boy. Although it didn't get worse until after the tribute parade.

"You looked really pretty," He said when we were returning to our hotel. The rooms were nice and everything but it was often lonely. "You looked better," I said with just a side moment. "Clove," he said, I didn't listen I kept walking. I felt his hands on my waist and with that he pinned me on the wall behind me. "I remember Clove," He said simply, "I remember the doll." I tried to shrug him off, but it wasn't that easy. "I don't know what you're talking about Blondie."

You don't let anyone know about your feelings because feelings get you killed in the hunger games. You had to be focus and never slip. Still Cato's arms around me felt so nice, I turned into a bag of pudding. "You look so beautiful," He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, he leaned forward. He was going to kiss me, I realized as my heartbeat picked up. No, I wasn't ready for that. _Aren't you?_ A teasing voice in my head asked, _you've loved that boy since you were five._ I ducked just in time and managed to get into my room and close the door before he could stop me. "Night Cato!" I called as I fell back on my bed. I am a giant mess.

I went to bed without dinner that night, I didn't want to see Cato's face, didn't want to hear me laughing for believing that he might actually like me. What does it matter, in two weeks we will both be in the arena…. we will be allies, the careers always stick together.

I heard the footsteps before the soft knock on the door, Cato must have known I was aware of him, my sense were always heightened like that. "Clove?" He said from the other side, "Clove c'mon open up…can we talk about earlier?" After a couple minutes of silent he says, "I have food." I sighed; he was not going to leave. I walked to the door and opened it, stepped aside so he could come in, and went back to my bed.

"Hey," Cato said placing the try of food next to me. "Cato…what the hell was that?" He sat down next to me, "I don't want to sound cheesy but Clove…I do like you." He paused looking around as if there was a camera filming him. "I've liked you for a while and the only reason I volunteered for tribute was so I could make sure you wouldn't die." He took a hold of my hand and it took all my powers not to pull back. "Clove feel this," He put his hand over his chest, his heart, "the only reason this beats is because of you." That was stupid, every human has a heartbeat, and I knew it registered on my face.

"Clove you are my heart, I always have this…hard exterior, but inside." He leaned closer like he was telling me a secret, "I'm a big softie like the boy from district twelve." I laughed, "Cato, I've known you since I was little, you are not soft." He raised an eyebrow, "oh yeah?" he challenged and leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. It was a strange feeling, I never have been kissed before. "I love you Clove," He whispered as he caressed my cheek. The food on the night stand was all but forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

Cato…why is he so stuck in my head? Why doesn't he just leave me alone. Ever since that day, when he told me loved me…. I feel like I've hated him ever since. What kind of sick game is he playing? I am Clove, the fearless warrior from district 2 and was I over here falling head over heels for a boy who will kill me in the arena?

Yes I was. No matter what I knew my feelings for Cato was strong, weather or not he meant his or not.

Today is the chariot race, and my stylist is literally crazy. "Gold Gold and shiny," She said as she zoomed around the room picking up measuring tape and needles. "Oh stand still and stop being so pouty. If you want, I'll put you in a pretty little skirt for that boy,"

I felt my eyes narrow, "Screw this," I said pushing away her creepy hands and heading for the doors, "but if you leave now you'll never shine bright on a television set."

When I opened the door guess who was there? My mentor, already glaring at me, and big Blondie Cato stood behind him. "What?" I hissed, "Whoa cool the fire girl," Cato said chuckling softly, "Mentor here has an idea," Our mentor nodded us in, "So," he started softly as we sat back down in the very chairs I kicked over in rage, "I had an idea…putting the two of you in matching outfits, you'll get more sponsors." Cato grinned, "It's genius,"

I crossed my arms, "If a monkey was planning it. Sponsors don't want us because we get dressed up in pretty outfits. They like us because we're the violent tributes, we need to represent that." Everyone just stared at me like I had grown a third head. "So…. gold or silver," My stylist said breaking the silence and I groaned walking out of the room again.

"This is so stupid." I said to Cato as we stood on our chariot waiting for the whole thing to happen. "No it's not," His eyes scanned around, we were alone for a couple of minutes. I guess the other tributes weren't done beautifying themselves."Yes it is, we look like two," I paused and let the small grin slide across my face, "Gladiators," Guess my stylist wasn't that stupid.

Cato wore a simple gold roman outfit with a gold headrest and my outfit was similar only with a gold and silver skirt attached. "Hmm…The Gladiator lovers from District two," Cato smirked wrapping his arm around my waist.

Was he about to kiss me? I looked at him and a lump formed in my throat. Oh god, he was about to kiss me…. What do I do? Where do I put my lips? God I hated him for making me think of this.

His lips pressed against mine, soft and warm. He pulled me closer to him, the fabric of our outfits rubbing together. "Wait," I gasped out putting my hands on his chest, "Cato I…" He put his finger to my lips, "sh, I feel the same way," he grinned softly, his voice lowered. "You don't want to leave yourself open, knowing that one day the other person could stab you in the back."

His words fell down my spine making me shiver, "well…don't tell anyone Clover, but if it comes down to just you and me…. I'm letting you win." My heart ached, I need to tell him now, and he needs to know. "Cato I-" "All Tributes take their chariots, the rides are about to start." Before I could say anything the big creaking doors were opening, "well…smile Gladiator Princess," "I love you," I whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

The parade was going great. The boy and girl from district one, our fellow careers this year, looked utterly stupid. I could tell I wouldn't like the girl. Lots of screams and cheers were heard when Cato and I took place. The brutal tributes from district two, the gladiators from district two. I held a glorious and frightening smirk on my face the whole time.

Like I said before the parade was going great. Then the stupid tributes from district twelve came, lit in fire as they flew down, stealing the show. Isn't that illegal? Fire has nothing to do with mining. It took everything, mostly Cato, to keep me from letting the fire catch on their hair.

"Our outfits were stupid," I said when we got to our floor. I was already pulling off the sandals and the headrest to our stupid outfits. It jingled as it hit the sea green walls. "I don't know, I thought we looked good," Cato said back to me, only eyeing me because he could tell I was pissed.

Cato was always smart when it came to me, he could read my emotions with a simple body scan. It's almost funny I can never read his.

The first time Cato had a girlfriend I refused to talk to them, and wanted nothing to do with Veria even though she was such a lovely gal. Cato wanted his best friend, me, to meet her, but it was always "Oh hey, I'm really busy, catch you later." He always saw through them, every excuse I had.

One night, while our parents were playing cards, we took a walk around our neighborhood. District two doesn't have a curfew, but if you are out past a certain time, you get in trouble for it. "So…I think it's pretty cute you're jealous of Veria." Cato said, his blonde hair shaggy because, as a twelve year old he thought it was cute. "I'm not jealous," I said simply as we kept walking, I had a nice set of bangs that curled and rested in the middle of my forehead, and I never wore my hair in anything but a ponytail. "Are too," Cato said moving so he could stand in front of me." I rolled my eyes, "leave me alone."

Even when I got boyfriends, I had very many of them, trying to get my mind away from Cato who was constantly getting hit on or dated. Cato stayed aloof during all of them, inviting them to his football games, making an effort to be friends with them. It still baffled me now; how he sat back and watched the girl he supposing loved go out with other guys.

_Unless he doesn't really love you_, a teasing part of my mind said.

"You looked perfect," our mentor said, coming in with a pair of capital girls hanging of both his arms, "The training is next, I don't need to tell you what to do," He shrugged, "just train. After that comes the interview, so we need to get you set up with outfits for that." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, "I'm thinking….red for Clove, tight too, to show that you are the deadly and sexy tribute they're looking for." His eyes scanned up and down Cato, "Hell Cato, just smile for the camera and tell them you will fight to the death." Cato smirked, "no gimmicks for me." That I had to roll my eyes at.

"But I'm not sexy, I just throve knives." Cato chuckled, "But you never miss, you hit everything you aim at." He nodded and playfully shrugged an arm over my shoulder, "in the training room, make sure you show that off. It'll scare the other tributes so much."

The training room was big, and filled with so many stations. All tributes wore the same thing, a black skintight uniform and sturdy black boots.

It was there I met our allies. Cato was eyeing the swords and knives station, his eyes glued to the golden sword that lay there. "Hey," He nudged me, sliding a knife towards me. It was beautiful, much better than anything I ever made back home. My eyes lit up at the beautiful knife. The dummies were nearly halfway across the room. "Show off as much as possible, make sure your enemies fear you," our mentor had said on the elevator ride down.

With a wind of my arm, I threw the knife. Dead center of the forehead. "Wow, two, you've got an arm." Said a blonde that slinked it's way over to us, behind her a brunette boy. Her eyes instantly sized up Cato, which caused a spark deep inside my body. I walked over to him, laying my arm on his shoulder. It was a little hard seeing that Cato was so tall and I was so short. "Thanks." Her lips pulled back as she smiled, "I'm Glimmer and this is Marvel from district one." Cato reached out and shook her hand, making it clear he was checking the blonde girl out. "I'm Cato and this is Clove."

_He was just playing me, I'm such a stupid fool._ My heart froze cold, "I'm going to get my knife," _and maybe get Glimmer with it. _How could I possible believed he liked me? Heck, even loved me_. Clove, this is why you don't let your heart take control of your mind._


End file.
